Nadal doesn't want to appear arrogant

Rafael Nadal tells DPA that his knee is not completely healthy, but concedes that his successful comeback may suggest otherwise to opponents. Nadal, who has won three of four tournaments after a seven-month absence from the game, believes players would label him arrogant if he said he wasn't 100 percent while posting a 17-1 record since his return. In an interview last week, Nadal said that his left knee is still sore.

"I cannot say I'm not 100 percent when I won three of the four tournaments that I played since my return. The other players would say that I am an arrogant," Nadal said in Monte Carlo, where he will try to win his record-extending ninth title. "But you cannot be 100 percent after stopping for seven months.”

The Spaniard added that his knee is gradually feeling better with each passing week, that his long-term goal is to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics, and that he has no plans to pursue a professional golf career when he retires from tennis.